Winter
by C.Eyre
Summary: Aspen Frost is the current Spirit of Winter who has been watching over Clary. When Clary learns of her heritage and gets involved in the Shadow World Aspen finds herself drawn into it with her.


**Brief Summary of Aspen's Powers/Abilities**

~Can control and communicate with the wind, this allows her to fly

~Can shape shift into animals, usually those found in cold climate

~Can create frost, ice and snow

~Her staff can change into any weapon she pleases

Her powers are largely based off of Jack Frost from Rise of the Guardians, as is her staff..

* * *

16 years. Aspen had been keeping watch over Clarissa Fray for 16 years. It would be creepy if it weren't for the fact that it was for the girls protection. Aspen had killed many a demon trying to harm the girl so she felt justified in her vigilance. She had introduced herself into Clary's life when she entered high school, earning Clary's friendship. Which is what led to her sitting in a coffee shop with Simon, Clary's best friend, trying to ignore the boy in favor of drawing snowflakes.

The boy was yammering on about how nervous he was for Clary and Aspen had to ignore the urge to roll her eyes. Simon was so painfully in love with Clary it was almost sickening, what made it worse was Clary being oblivious to it. Simon had been friendzoned more times than Aspen could count.

Looking up she saw Clary enter wearing her Sad Face but her eyes said victory. Clary had clearly been accepted into the Academy but was playing a game on Simon.

"Give me the professors names and I - I will end them." Simon declared earning a raised brow from Clary and a snort from Aspen.

"You know with a scathing email to the Dean." Simon clarified after seeing the look on Clary's face.

"You couldn't be scary if you tried Lewis." Aspen told him bluntly.

"Don't bother." Clary said sliding a piece of paper over to Simon while sitting next to Aspen.

"What! Sad Face, really?" Simon asked clearly happy for Clary as she giggled at him.

"Well played Fray, well played." Aspen complimented while Simon and Clary fist bumped

"Thank you." Clary accepted humbly.

"You know, it's weird. They kinda liked my assigned work but they flipped out over my drawings for our graphic novel." Clary informed us.

It wasn't surprising, the drawings were of demons and downworlders with some angelic runes dotting the pages. A sign that Clary was remembering the Down World.

"Your welcome." Simon said in reference to the graphic novel being his idea in the first place.

"This day will go down in history as the greatest 18th birthday I ever had." Clary laughed.

"You say that like you plan to have multiple 18th birthdays." Aspen commented.

"Well that is why we are celebrating tonight with Maureen after our show." Simon said.

"Absolutely." Clary agreed as the waitress handed over their orders. Aspen happily sipped at her ice coffee, enjoying the cold drink.

"So, what's the deal with you and Maureen?" Clary asked.

"What deal? No deal, we sing together." Simon answered.

"The girl is in love with you Lewis." Aspen told him, rolling her eyes. He was just as bad as Clary in that regard.

"What? No, no." Simon refused making a face of disbelief.

"Simon, how can someone as smart and perceptive as you not realize that the person sitting right there is in love with you?" Clary asked ironically.

"I guarantee you I am not the only smart perceptive person to make that mistake." Simon answered while staring at Clary. Aspen resorted to taking a drink to avoid laughing at the two of them.

Clary glanced down only to look confused, following her line of vision Aspen noticed the biscotti perfectly drawn on a piece of paper. Clary had evidently inherited her mother's gift to make 3D objects two dimensional.

"That's a latte." Simon told Clary, pointing at her drink.

"But I could have sworn I had a biscotti." Clary said confused.

"Maybe you ate it really fast and you didn't notice. Happens to me all the time. When I'm happy, when I'm sad, but I will replace your mythical biscotti with an actual one." Simon handed over his biscotti.

"Thank you."

"You know what? Here's to you, l'chaim." Simon said holding up his mug.

"L'chaim." Clary and Aspen said has one, clinking their own drinks against Simon's.

* * *

The trio had separated and Aspen was planning on meeting them at Pandemonium after Simon's gig. Going to Pandemonium made her nervous, it was a prime location for Clary to be recognized and there would be too many people around if things went south. Nonetheless, Aspen dawned her club clothes. Which consisted of a black beaded crop top, a black mini skirt, black heeled ankle boots, and her black leather jacket.

She grabbed her staff and with a twirl it was small enough to fit in her pocket. Aspen arrived just in time to see Clary painting the side of Simon's van.

"Rock Solid Panda?" Aspen questioned after reading the van.

"New band name." Maureen informed earning a nod of thanks.

"What's that tag?" Simon asked pointing at a rune Clary had painted.

"Weird, I didn't even mean to draw that. Second time today." Clary answered.

"You know they have confirmed cases of people waking up in the morning speaking french and they never even studied the language." Maureen said trying to supply an explanation.

"Do you think that's some kind of language?" Clary asked.

"Sanskrit maybe?" Maureen answered.

The wind brushed over Aspen's ear informing her of an incoming demon, a shapeshifter. Aspen's gaze immediately locked onto an attractive woman in a bright pink dress heading towards the club. A shadowhunter following her bumped into Clary.

"Hey can you watch where you're going?" Clary asked. causing the shadowhunter to slowly turn around.

"You can see me?" He asked in return.

"Unfortunately." Aspen quipped, drawing his attention to her for a moment. She watched his eyes dart over her unusual colouring before he turned back to Clary.

"Obviously you didn't see me." Clary said which Aspen would have been proud of if it weren't for the fact that she was clearly attracted to the blonde.

"You have the Sight." Said the shadowhunter with a glance at Aspen.

"Wait, the what?" Clary asked.

"How can I not know who you are?" He questioned.

"Has that line seriously ever worked for you, even once?" Clary asked earning a snort from Aspen.

"Jace!" A man called out causing the shadowhunter to look behind him and run towards the voice.

Said voice caused Aspen to feel a surge of cold go through her. Her eyes widened. It was rare but some spirits found people they were compatable with on a level that surpassed usual bonds of friendship. It was comparable to that of the Nephilim and their Parabatai but it was more instinctual. Spirits usually bonded with the person and spent the rest of their lives protecting their bonded. Aspen's bonded was a shadowhunter. Closing her eyes in slight defeat she promised herself that she would find him later.

While Aspen was pondering all this Clary had come to the conclusion that she had to get her answers.

"Aspen you coming?" Clary asked, having removed her sweater to reveal a mesh crop top.

"Where are we going?" Aspen asked.

"To get some answers." Clary answered as she headed towards Pandemonium. Aspen hurried after her. If shadowhunters were here something was wrong and she couldn't leave Clary unprotected.

Entering the building they were greeted with pulsing lights, loud music, and a crowd of dancing people. Aspen and Clary were followed by Simon and Maureen but they quickly went to go get drinks, leaving Clary and Aspen to themselves. Together the girls made their way through the crowd towards a section cut off with a curtain, a curtain that Jace disappeared behind.

"Somebody works out." Clary complimented as she lightly grabbed hold of a man's, a demon's, arm.

"He most certainly does." Aspen agreed with a smooth voice. Gently squeezing the demon's bicep, earning a deep rumble from the demon's chest. Aspen smirked as she saw it's eyes shift indicating the demon had fallen for the trick.

"Cool contacts." Clary added.

Entering the cut off area Aspen noticed Jace speaking with the demon from outside when he activated this seraph blade. It glowed prominently in the clubs light.

"Watch out!" Clary screamed before shoving the demon away from it raised its head the demon had split it's mouth into 4 parts.

"Be careful!" Jace shouted before pushing Clary back, causing her to slide across the floor. Aspen hurried over and helped Clary stand. After Clary was standing she reached into her pocket for her staff, with a twirl it was now a beautiful yet lethal dagger.

Jace easily sliced open the demon before turning to them again.

"Are you hurt?" He asked earning a head shake from Aspen. A demon came up behind Jace, head butting him. Jace fell but before the demon could attack Aspen lashed out and slit the demon's throat causing it to burst into ash.

Across the room a girl dressed in white leather and a man in all black were killing demons left and right. Jace joined them and together with the man in black they shared a blade, taking turns in killing the horde. Jace snatched the blade from Clary's hand and finished off the rest of the demons with his partner. Clary turned and ran for the exit. Aspen was to busy staring at the other male shadowhunter, he was the one, her potential bonded. Shaking her head Aspen turned and ran after Clary.

Aspen arrived just in time to see Clary jump in a taxi and drive away.

* * *

Aspen knew Clary and knowing Clary she would go home. But Aspen also knew shadowhunters and Jace seemed like he would pursue Clary, so Aspen would wait at the Institute. Aspen had shifted into a snowy owl and perched on a tree across the street. Her hunch was proven correct when she spotted Jace headed her way with an unconscious Clary in his arms. Quickly shifting back into human form Aspen hurried towards them.

"What happened?" Aspen demanded as she walked in sync with Jace.

"Demon venom." Jace answered.

"Damn it! " Aspen cursed as they entered the Institute and headed towards what Aspen assumed was the medical bay.

Jace gently put Clary down on a bed. He pulled out his stele and traced an iratze on Clary's neck, causing her breathing to even out.

"Can I have something to change her into?" Aspen asked. Jace nodded and went to retrieve some clothes.

Aspen reached out and gently stroked Clary's hair as she waited for Jace to come back.

"Here." Jace said as he handed over a shirt. It was large enough to fit Clary like a short dress so she didn't bother asking for pants. Aspen pushed Jace out of the room to change Clary. When she was done she pulled the blankets over her friend.

With a sigh Aspen slid off her shoes and claimed the empty bed next to Clary. She was asleep in moments.

* * *

Aspen woke to sound of someone saying ow. Looking over to Clary she saw that she was awake with a girl sitting on her bed. Aspen silently watched them.

"Wait, I don't know you." Clary stammered, leaning away from the girl sitting on her bed.

"I'm Isabelle. I've never seen Jace so curious about a mundane or distracted. Like you saw earlier, distractions are dangerous in our line of work." Isabelle told Clary, looking curious.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Clary said as she looked around.

"Whose Jace?" Clary asked.

"You don't know much do you?" Isabelle remarked.

"All I know is some psychos took my mother and now you people have taken me." Clary told her.

"They saved your life Clary." Aspen spoke up causing Clary to notice her.

"Aspen!" Clary shouted, clearly relieved to see a familiar face. Aspen smiled reassuring as she sat up and faced the others.

"The mundanes shouldn't even be here." Alec said as he entered the room with Jace following behind.

"Where is here exactly?" Clary questioned.

"They're not mundane Alec." Jace argued.

"How do you know that?" Alec asked.

"Because the seraph blade lit up when she touched it and she doesn't fight like a mundane." Jace answered first pointing towards Clary and then to Aspen.

"Isabelle can you?" Jace gestured for her to stand which she did. Jace took her place on Clary's bed.

"I'm Jace Wayland." He introduced himself.

"I'm uh -" Clary started only to be interrupted.

"Clary Fray, we know who you are. You on the other hand we don't know." Jace said looking towards Aspen.

"Aspen Frost." Aspen introduced with a wave.

"Am I the only one that finds this unusual?" Alec asked.

"You find everything unusual Alec." Jace answered.

"This is unusual." Aspen agreed causing Alec to glance at her momentarily.

"I have to report this to the Clave." Alec informed the room.

"You know what? Dial it down a notch." Jace told Alec.

"My brother doesn't have a dial. I love you Alec, but you have a switch that is always on." Isabelle spoke up.

"I love you too. But this just -" Alex returned before being cut off.

"Hey, you know what? Gimme a minute. Here's a word you never hear me say, please?" Jace asked with a gesture for Alec and Isabelle to leave the room.

"What is with you? No, really what is with him?" Alec asked.

"Walk with me big brother." Isabelle said as she grabbed hold of Alec's arm and lead him out of the room.

"Your wound, it's healed." Jace commented after checking Clary.

"How is that even possible? So, so what I'm miraculously healed and all you stunning people have magical powers?" Clary asked.

"No, no. Don't confuse me with a warlock."Jace told her.

"A what?" Clary asked.

"A warlock is one of the downworlders. Half human and half demon. They have magical powers." Aspen answered. Earning a glance from Jace and confused look from Clary.

"Okay your not making any sense." said Clary.

"Warlocks, Seelies, Vampires.." Jace listed off downworlders.

"Literally my brain is about to explode." Clary told us.

"Well I'll keep it simple for you. All the legends are true. We're shadowhunters, we protect the human world from the demon world. So those people you saw murdered at the Pandemonium they weren't people at all they were shape shifting demons." Jace explained.

"I'm not interested in being a part of your supernatural fight club. I just wanna find my mom. The rest of it, whatever it is, all I care about is finding my mother. Please, please help me find her." Clary pleaded.

"I'm the best chance you got." Jace told her seriously while Aspen rolled her eyes. Somebody was full of themselves.

"I don't even know you." Clary told him when her phone rang.

"Simon!" Clary said relieved as she got out of bed to answer her phone.

Aspen stood as well, stretching, watching Clary talk on the phone with Simon and Jace flip through Clary's sketchbook.

"What happened to my clothes?" Clary asked as she hung up.

"Demon venom, remember? Isabelle left you these." Jace answered and pointed to clothes resting on a chair.

"You're kidding right?" Clary asked as she held up a knee high leather heeled boot.

"She's very comfortable with her body." Jace answered.

"Don't blame her." Aspen shrugged.

"How did that get there?" Clary asked, pointing to the rune on her neck.

"I drew that." Jace answered.

"Okay, listen. I still don't get everything going on here but you do not tattoo my neck. That's creepy." Clary told him.

"Duly noted, I guess next time I'll just let you die." Jace remarked.

"It's a rune Clary, not a tattoo. That one is the shadowhunter form of first aid, it helps you heal." Aspen informed her.

"They have enormous power. Good for shadowhunters, lethal for humans. But you, you already know all about runes don't you?" Jace asked, holding up Clary's sketchbook.

"Maybe you don't. Which is what makes you so interesting, Clary Fray" Jace commented after seeing Clary's lack of knowledge.

* * *

Together the three of them headed towards the entrance to meet Simon. Jace unsheathed a seraph blade along the way.

"I saw something behind you friend." Jace told them.

"You're not going to kill Simon are you?" Clary asked.

"Protect the humans, kill the demons. You'll get it eventually." Jace answered.

They exited the church and Aspen saw Simon's eyes widen upon seeing Clary's outfit.

"So why can't Simon see you?" Clary asked.

"This is a glamour, a rune that makes me invisible to mundanes. It's a shame really, denying them all this." Jace answered as he showed Clary the rune on his torso.

"What do you have on? Clary, let me take you home." Simon said as he took off his jacket and handed it to Clary.

"I don't think I have one anymore." Clary told him as she accepted the jacket.

"Why? What do you mean?" Simon asked.

"Well -"

"Clary Fairchild!" Called out a circle member.

Jace knocked the blade out of his hand before grabbing him in a choke hold. Clary let out a horrified sound and Simon began to ask what was going on.

"Give us the girl, I'll let you live" The circle member demanded.

"You're not in position to make to be making moves." Jace told him.

"Not gonna happen." Aspen told him as she walked closer, her dagger making an appearance once more. A glacial look took over her face as she approached him.

"Try it, and I will end you." She informed him.

They fought briefly before Jace impaled him on the sword.

"We'll never stop hunting her." The circle member told them.

"This is for my father." Jace responded, driving the blade through him, killing body dropped to the ground.

"Jace!" Clary shouted as she ran to him.

"Excuse me?" Simon asked as he followed Clary.

"Is he dead?" Clary asked pointing at the dead man.

"Yes." Aspen answered as Simon asked who was dead.

The body appeared before Simon, the glamour rune no longer working now that he was dead.

"What the..?"

"Could you de-glamorize or whatever so my best friend doesn't think I'm losing my mind?" Clary asked as she went back to Simon.

The air shimmered for a moment before Jace appeared standing next to Aspen.

"Um, what is happening?" Simon asked.

"We don't have the luxury right now kid, everyone back inside." Jace said as he headed back towards the doors to the Institute with Aspen following him.

"Clary who is this, your meth dealer?" Simon asked.

"Really Lewis, meth?" Aspen questioned, raising a brow at the idiot.

"I've seen him before, at the police station." Clary told Jace.

"He's a member of the circle, Clary he's here for you." Jace informed.

"Hes with the people who took my mother." Clary corrected.

"Your little best friend here led him right to you, he's here to capture or kill you." Jace told her, pointing at Simon in irritation.

"There's a dead body there, we have to call Luke." Simon pointed out.

"You're just now noticing the dead body?" Aspen asked.

"We can't trust Luke Simon, we can't." Clary argued.

"Clary, I need to keep you safe. I promise you, I promise I will help you find your mother but your one of us, you're a shadowhunter." Jace said with conviction. Aspen honestly believed him.

"What are you talking about? Clary, you don't know this guy alright? Come with me, I can get us help." Simon argued, trying to convince Clary to leave.

"Clary please."

"Clary c'mon"


End file.
